Posted on: March 30, 2022
As The Weekly was going live today, Island Health and Indigenous Health were hosting a spring celebration just outside the main entrance of the North Island Hospital Campbell River.
Members of the Ripple Rock Elementary School Drum Group provided songs of welcome and peace.
“This is a time to celebrate each other's contributions towards creating a healthier community," stated the invitation to staff, medical staff and volunteers. “It's also an opportunity to celebrate and share our appreciation that we do this work within the unceded Ancestral Lands of the Laichwiltach Peoples – Wei Wai Kum, We Wai Kai and the Kwiakah Nations.
The festivities included prizes, the sharing of song, drumming and language. There were burgers, homemade clam chowder, bannock, jam, cheese and tea, under big party tents next to the hospital's Traditional Plant Garden.
“Spring is upon us and with this comes a new beginning following hard times as we have all been impacted by the pandemic, and this event is a way to thank everyone, and a way to move forward together," said Site Director Tricia Sinclair. “I acknowledge that saying Thank You for all the dedication to providing care for our community is simply not enough, and I wanted to provide our teams with a celebration for their excellence and recognize the amazing work they do to support the health and wellness of those we care for.
"This event is an opportunity to show my appreciation and invite others to share our gratitude for the work we do within the unceded Ancestral Lands of the Laichwiltach Peoples in the sharing of food, language, song and drumming."
Thanks and praise also came from Elder-in-Residence Sheryl Thompson, Indigenous Health Director Mary Knox, and Dr. Ian Thompson, GEO 1 Executive Medical Director. Other local elders attended as well.
Those attending were invited take a rock painted with messages of praise, friendship and gratitude in the Kwakwala language, with phonetic pronunciation and English translation.
And as befits an outdoor spring celebration, the clouds parted and the sun came out.
Thanks go out to the local Kinsmen, caterers Tersa Wasden and Jessie Newman and the Campbell River Hospital Foundation for their help.
